When I was coaching college baseball, it was my job to inspire my players, but oftentimes my players inspired me. The person in charge, be it in business, sport, or life, can learn a great deal from those they lead if they are willing to accept the fact that they don’t know it all.
I learned a lesson on excuses from one of my players early in my career. The particular young man was coming off an incredible season the year before and the sky was the limit for him. Going into the following season, the expectations were high, and I was counting on him to lead the team to a conference championship. Unfortunately, he began the season in a terrible hitting and fielding slump and was not playing remotely close to his ability.
This player went into a tailspin, he could not hit, catch a fly ball, or even run the bases properly. The more I played him, the more he struggled. He could not catch a break, no matter how hard he worked. Nothing was going his way, so I benched him.
Even still, he was the first one to show up for practice, and the last one to leave. He never blinked when it came to his work ethic. It did not matter to him if he had been benched or not, he continued to grind and pay the price for success.
I even overlooked him on several occasions early in the season when I needed a pinch hitter. I lost all confidence in him as a player, and he knew it. But he still showed up early and stayed late to work on his game.
As luck would have it for him, we had a rash of injuries, and I was forced to put him in the lineup. The impact was immediate. It was unbelievable; he was a completely different player.
The old, frustrated player was gone, and a shiny new player beaming with confidence was wearing the same uniform. He went from a forgotten player to a player we could not win without. He stuck to the sure-fire recipe of believing in himself and never giving up, and it was paying off.
You can change your batting stance a thousand times trying to get out of a slump in baseball, but you will never start hitting the ball again until you change from within by believing you can hit.
He could have easily complained to his teammates about not playing or shown up for practice late with a lousy attitude, but he chose the opposite. When his game fell apart, instead of making excuses and pouting, he stayed the course. He worked just as hard when he wasn’t playing as he did when he was playing. Repeat: He worked just as hard when he wasn’t playing as he did when he was playing. That’s worth reading twice because that is the recipe for achievement. If you can put in the work when nobody is watching or seems to care, then you are becoming the very best version of yourself, and that matters.
This young man was a team player whether he played or not, and that showed strength of character, maturity, and made him a better man in the long run.
He knew he’d get a second chance; and he was ready when he did, and there was no looking back. It did not take long before he was playing his best baseball ever. He was back, no thanks to me, and it was impressive.
I remember asking him what had changed that caused him to be playing so well. He replied, “Well, I called my dad a while back and told him I was going to come talk to you about getting back in the lineup. He told me to keep working hard, keep my mouth shut, and wait for another chance. No excuses, just hard work”
A week later, I had T-shirts made for all my players with, “NO EXCUSES – JUST HARD WORK” printed on the back.
I’ve never forgotten what he said. So simple, so true, and the secret to success. I’ve certainly offered my share of excuses in life, but fortunately I’ve learned that if it is really important to me, I will find a way, if not, then I’ll probably find an excuse.
“Excuses are nails to build a house of failure. Either make progress or make excuses.”
Don Wilder
